Door for tubular fire escapes



June 10 1924. 1,497,6094

A. H. STURGES DOOR FOR TUBULAR FIRE ESCAPES June l0, 1924.

A. HA STURGES DOOR FOR TUBULAR FIRE ESCAPES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed OGL. l5. 1923 Patented June 10, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR H. STURGES, OF OMAHA., NEBRASKA.

Doon FOB. TUBULAR FIRE. EscAPEs. '1- .f

Application led October 15, 1928. Serial No. 668,704.

To all whom it may concernv Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. STURGES,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Doors for Tubular Fire Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to lire eso capes, and more particularly a door for the outlet or lower ends of tubularlire escapes, of that type which is shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 668,703, filed of even date herewith.

An object of the present invention is to provide a closure for the exit or outlet end of the lire escape for the purpose of preventing unauthorized entrance to the lower end of the fire escape and to prevent accumulations of rubbish, snow and the like which are found to accumulate in these devices when their exit ends are open and exposed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closure for theeXit end of the fire es cape which may be opened from a distant point, such as at the top of the fire escape or where the persons are adapted to enter the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be applied to the usual commercial fire escapes without altering the construction of the same, and which embodies features inherent in the attachments for supporting and operating the closure.

A still further obj ect of the invention, is to provide a fire escape closure of this character, with means for opening it from the entrance to the device, and a supplemental means for causing theopening of the device when a person reaches the lower end thereof, the latter device being supplemental toA the first opening means so that should for any reason the first opening means become inoperative through breakage, rusting or the like the second operating means will always be in position to automatically operate as soon as a person or object strikes the lower end of the lire escape. This feature of the in vention also embodies the housing or protection of the secondary and primary opening devices to protect them from being tampered with and also from the elements.

lith the foregoing and other objects in view, the inventlon will be more fully described hereinafter and will be. more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

ln the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts through out the several views, V

Figure l is a longitudinal section taken through a fire escape having theclosure and operating means therefor applied to the ire escape and constructed according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the exit endof the fire escape.

Figure 3 is a lower end elevation of the lire escape showing the closure in a closed position.

Figure 4 is a similar view with the closure open.

Figure 5 is an inner end elevation of the lower end section of the fire escape, looking toward the closure in closed position.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the locking and releasing means for the closure, the view being taken longitudinally through the lower end ofthere escape near the clos-ure.

. Figure 7 is a detail enlarged section taken longitudinally through one of the opening devices for one of the doors, and

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken through the lower end of the lire escape showing the doors closed and showing the secondary releasing means.

Referring to the drawings 10 designates a body portion of a fire escape which may be of tubular construction as illustrated, and which is provided at itsupper end with an entrance section 11 adapted to be secured through an opening l2 in the wall 13 of a building, the lower portion or bottom of the entrance portion 11 being substantially flush with the floory 14 of the building. The entrance portion or section l1 may be provided with a hand rail 15 which extends into the entrance section for facilitating the positioning of the person. in the upper end of the fire escape.

The lower end of the fire escape 10 is pro,- vided with an exit section. 16 which, may be cylindrical or the like and which is supported upon a base 17 of concrete or other suitable material to support the eXitwsection 16 near the ground or other point at which it is desired to discharge the persons from the building.

los l "let end with a channel ring having the channel v in its outer side. and which rein forces the edge and provides a door traine to which-strap hinges 21 or the like are welded or otherwise suitably secured. These hinge straps 21. are preferably arranged in pairs 'at opposite sides of the ring 2O and the straps 21 of each pair are vertically spaced apart, and carrya piintle or bolt 22 therethrough upon which are mounted compleymental vhinge straps 23 which extend across and are welded or otherwise suitably secured tothe outer faces of door sections 24 and 25. As Vshown' in Figure 3, the door sections carry the straps 23 across their outer faces,

and the lower straps are shorter than the upper ones and carry set screws 26 behind -which the lower ends 2? 'of closing springs 28 engage, the springs being carried about the bolt 22 and having'their upper ends en- -gaged beneath the straps 21 and in the channel ofthe ring 20. The springs 28 normally urge thedoors 24 and 25 into open position. .The door 24 is provides witha lip or eXtension 29 which is offset outwardly a. distance sufiicient to overlap and lie closely against Lthe outer face of the door 25.

The doors 24 and 25 are of sheet inet-al, or'the like,-and are provided with reinforcing vframes 30 disposed upon the innersides of the Adoors and to which the locking mechanism is connected. The iframes 30 and their panels are substantially semicircuvlar in shape and are adapted to extend across the `lower open end of the re escape and close it. It will be noted from Figure `8 that the frames 30 projectinto the open `end of the section 16 while the panels of the doors lie across the outer edge of the section y16 andV also of the reinforcing .ring 20.

The frame .30 of one of the doors, preterably the door carrying the overlapping lip 29, is .provided upon its lower endand near its outer edge with an inwardly extending .liplfadapted ltosupport a. vertically eX- tending rod 32 which is connected by a flexible r4chain 33 to its door section 24. Therod V32 extends upwardly along the inner side of the 4door `24-and .is adapted to engage at its upperlend `upon a cam 34 which is formed -uponffthe loweryedge` votfa hook 85. The

.hookfis pivoted at -36 to the door frame and is provided upon its tree end with an 'upstanding hook or finger 37.

moval of the rod 32. The rod 32 is held in place between the lip 31 and the cam 35 by the tension of the spring 39 and the rod may be adjusted to the desired length by the coupling sleeve G3 which is carried by the rod.

Tliefrod is therefore only supported at its a upper and lower ends and ma y be easily displaced troin beneath the cam tov release the latter and disengage the hooks 37 and 51. The chain prevents the loss o'l the rod Welded or otherwise suitably secured to the upper side ot the outlet section 16 of the lire escape is a box or enclosure 39 having a removable cover 40 which may be locked or otherwise suitably secured upon the open upper side of the box 39. is welded or 'otherwise suitably secured a. bracket 41 having an upstanding arm 42 tl'irough which is slidably disposed a rod 43. The rod 43 may have a turn buckle 44 thereon the eye piece 45 ot which is connected to a cable- 46 which is threaded through a tube or housing 47 secured along the outer side of the tire esca-pe. The forward end of the rod 43 is provided with al washer 48 adjustably held on the rod by lock nuts 49 and which is normally urged outwardly' by a. spring 50 arranged about the rod 43 and interposed between the washer 48 and the bracket arm At its forward end, the rod 43 is suitably connected to a lever hook 51 which is pivoted at 52 upon the forward end of the bracket 41 and which has a bill 53 which projects downwardly through the bottom of the casing 39 and through tbe upper wall of the outlet section 16 of the fire escape, the bill 53 engaging the upstanding hook 37 of the lever 35 for locking the doors 24 and 25 closed.

As the door 24 is adapted to be snapped into closed position. the hook lever 51 is limited in its downward movement by an adjustable stop 54 threaded through the front wall ot the casing 39 and arranged to engage the upstanding portion of the hook lever. 4The inner wall ot the outlet section 16 may be provided with a shield 55 in the form ot a tapered block or member adapted to ward ofi the head or other parts of the person from contact with the depending end ot the hook 53 when the doors are opened.

`The tube or pipe 4 7 extends along the fire escape body 10 to the top thereof and may be secured in place by any suitable 4fastening devices and is shown in the pres- Tithin this box ent instance as being welded as' at 56 in Figure 1 for holding the pipein true position over the entrance'section 111.

Thecable 46, at its upper end is connected to the arm 57 of a lever` 58 which isfpivotally mounted at 59 upon a frame 60 which is' fitted in the opening 12 of the building and upon whichithe entrance section 11 is supported. This lever 58 is adapted to be drawn inwardly for pullingl the cable 46 and releasing the doors. As shown` the opening` 12 oi the building may be provided with suitable doors 61 arranged toclose the entranceV opening as is set forth more in detail inthe copending application above referred' to.

ln operation, when it is'desired to use the tire esca-pe a person before entering the sec`- tion 11 thereof pulls the lever 58 inwardly and thus pulls the cable 46 through the pipe 47 and lifts the hook lever 54 out of engage` ment with the hook or lever 20. As soon as thisis done the springs v28 which are incorporated in the door hinges, and enclosed in the metal casings 62, swing the doors 24 and 25 into open position as shown in Figure 4, and in dotted lines in Figure 1. V

Should for any reason the cable 46'break or the mechanism become otherwise disarranged or inoperative, and the doors 24 and 25 fail to open when the lever 58 is turned, in order to prevent the device from forming a ire trap, the secondary operating means 32. in the form of a rod. is used. The person sliding through the fire escape 10 enters the outlet section 16 and is impinged against the rod 32 and its cross piece 38. This jars the rod and knocks the lower end thereof vtrom its support or lug 31, or disengages the upper end oit' the rod from the cam 34. In either event the hook 35 is released and is permitted to drop under tension of the spring 39 so that the springs 28 in the door hinges are free to swing the doors into open position.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the sections of the release rod 32 may be provided with a coupling 63 which permits the adjustment of the rod longitudinally so as to rit with a nicety between the supporting linger or bracket 31 and the cam 34 of the hook 35. It is apparent that when the primary operating device fails to operate, the secondary device may be brought into operation so as to insure the releasing and opening of the doors 24 and 25 undel1 all conditions.

When it is desired to close the doors it is onlyl necessary to set the rod 32 upon its support 31 and engage the upper end of the rod with the high point of the cam 34. The doors 24 and 25 may now be swung closed with the lip 29 overlapping the door section without the locking device so as to insure the securement of the doors in closed position by the one locking device'.

`When thefrod 32'iszknocked ofi of'itsrsupport 31 and from beneath the cam 34, the chain 33 preventsloss oi the rod and suspends the same in such position thatv the rod may be easily grasped and readjusted. The cable 46 and tube 47 permit the operation of the primary releasing device from a distant point. such as atl the entrance opening to the lire escapeso that thevperson upon enteringthe iiref escape may first open the exit doors.`

It will also benoted that all of the parts are housed either behind the doors`24` and 25 or in the casing 39 so that rain, dust, moisture andthe like cannot` gain access. to the working parts. The pipef 47. is sealed in the end ofthe casing 39 and isalsoy sealed at itsiother endin the' casing-64 whichy may be a frame work orthe like arranged inthe wall opening 12 and at the top of' the entrance section.

I donotwish to be restricted tothe size, form, and proportions of the various parts', and obviously changes could be made in. the construction herein described withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, it being only necessary that such changes fall within the scope of4 the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

f 1.. In combination with a tubular fire es-` cape, a pair of doors hinged upon the exit end of the tire escape for closing said end, means connected to the doors for normally urging the same to spring into an open position, a hook carried by one of the doors, a hook mounted on the re escape, a spring normally interlocking said hooks for holding the doors closed, a cable connected to said second hook and extending along the lire escape to the entrance end thereof and a lever pivoted upon the entrance end of the fire escape and connected to said cable for drawing the same when the lever is swung whereby said doors may be released to swing into an open position upon the operation of said lever.

2. The combination with a tubularfire escape, a pair of doors hinged upon the exitend of the fire escape, springs connected to the doors for normally urging the same into open position, a hook on one door, an overlapping lip on said door arranged to engage the other door when both of said doors are closed, a hook lever pivoted upon the outlet end of the tire escape and arranged to interlock with the hook upon the door for holding the doors closed, a rod slidably mounted on the lire escape having one end connected to said hook lever, a spring connected to the rod for urging it to move outwardly whereby to maintain the hook lever in engagement with said hook, a cable connected to said rod, and a lever mounted upon the entrance end of the fire escape and connected to said cable, said lever being adapted to be swung for drawing said cable and pulling said rod against the tension of the spring to release the hook lever from Asaid hook. K

`3. The combination with a tubular tire escape, a pair of doors hinged upon the exit end of the fire escape,vsprings connected to said doors forsvvinging the same into open position, a lip on one door adapted to'over- 'lap the otherv door when both doors are closed, a hook on the door having the lip, a hook leverpivoted upon the iire escape, a spring operatively connected with the hook lever `for normally urging it into engagement with the hook, and releasing means :connected to the hook lever and yextending to the entrance end of the lire escape for lreleasing the hook lever from the hook and permitting said doors to open.

4. Thev combination with a tubular fire escape, a pair of doors for closing the exit end ofthe fire'escape and normally urged into open position, a locking member carried by the fire escape, a second locking member carried by the doors, said locking members being adapted to interlock Jfor holding the doors closed, primary releasin means connectedto one of said members an extending along the `iire escape to the en- -trance end thereof and operable from said entrance end to release the doors, and a secondary releasing means carried by the doors and connected to the adjacent locking member for operation upon failure upon said irst releasing means.

5. The combination with a tubular` fire escape, a pair of doors hinged upon the exit end of the fire escape and normally urged into open position, a locking mem er oarried by the doors, a second locking member carried by the iire escape, a casing enelosing the second locking member, a rod slidably mounted in the casing connected to said locking member, a spring connected to the rod for urging it to move in one direction, a cable connected to the rod for drawing it in the other direction, a pipe enclosing the cable and extending lengthwise of the lire escape to the entrance end thereof, and a lever pivotally mounted at the entrance end of the fire escape and connected to said cable for drawing the same when the lever' is swung and :releasing said locking members one from the other. i

In .testimony whereof, I have aixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

. ARTHUR H. STURGES.

Witnesses:

RUTH E. ANDERSEN, CHAs. E. FOSTER. 

